Wild birds require special consideration for cooking. Their meat is denser and leaner than domesticated versions, with more dark meat and tougher connective tissue. As a result, wild birds are best when cooked slowly over a longer period of time than domesticated birds; for example, by braising or stewing. Hunting your own birds brings up special considerations as well: you must dress and store the bird properly in order to preserve its flavor. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. If you are hunting wild birds yourself, field dressing is the best way to preserve the turkey's flavor and freshness. Consider skinning the bird instead of plucking it; it is less messy and makes the bird easier to cook, as the skin can be rubbery and more difficult to crisp than that of domestic birds.
2. If you decide to pluck the bird and keep the skin, begin by submerging the bird in hot water (around 140 degrees Fahrenheit). The feathers will become looser and easier to pull out.
3. Place the bird on its back, make a cut from the breastplate to the anal vent, and remove the bird's entrails. If the entrails are not removed promptly, the grain in the bird's digestive tract can ferment. Chill the bird by placing ice inside the body cavity.
4. Decide which cooking method to use. Frying works for young birds, but older birds should be cooked with slow, moist heat using stewing or braising. If you roast a duck or goose, which are fattier birds, prick the skin to let the fat render.
5. Regardless of your cooking method, be careful not to overcook wild bird. Test it with a meat thermometer; poultry is safe to consume when it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When pricked, the juices of a light-fleshed bird should run clear, and the juices of a dark-fleshed bird should run light pink.
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